DIY Projector HID Headlights for ~$200

It's getting to be that time of year again, and my headlights are pretty dismal, so after searching around and finding my choices were ebay junk ($70-90) or expensive ($500+), i was about to give up until i stumbled on the hidplanet forums: http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/

There weren't any good examples of a 6024 swap on there, but i saw enough swaps to get the idea, and here it goes! I used:

• Morimoto Mini H1 Projectors & shrouds - $120 [URL="http://www.theretrofitsource.com/product_info.php?products_id=221&osCsid=ad9e005f5a6db204e3a48d41d041523f"]Link[/URL]
  
• Ebay 6024 Halogen housings - $11 (see pic below)
  
• DDM Tuning 35W H1 4300k HID kit - $35 [URL="http://www.ddmtuning.com/Product-Categories/HID-Kits-Lighting/HID-Kits"]Link[/URL]
  
• ABS 3" to 2" pipe coupler x2 - $7 (source: hardware store)
  
• Plast-Aid 6 oz. Plastic epoxy (-ish stuff) - $20 (source: ebay)
  

(Note prices don't include shipping)

So, getting started! Here's what i have:



Headlights. I made sure to get glass ones that were "diamond cut". The rest doesn't really matter...




I removed everything from the back side:





ABS Plastic coupler (found next to PVC pipes):
Made to adapt 3" to 2" pipe. Has ~3.5" ID. Best picture, sorry:





Projector with shroud, shown next to headlight....that's not going to fit!





And...start cutting!
I put the ABS adapter over the back of the headlight and stenciled out a line, then brought out the dremel. Make sure to cut on a flat plane (as shown in the picture):





Once that's done, carefully fit the projector inside (you'll probably have to do a little more grinding to get it to fit). Take your time and make it a snug fit!





Now, cut off the small part of the ABS coupler:





Use your dremel to remove the shiny stuff from the part of the headlight you cut off, then use Plast-Aid to glue the back piece of the headlight to the coupler. I used a level to make sure that the back piece was installed perfectly:





Tip for Plast-Aid: I found it worked best when i let it set for about 10 minutes. I also recommend adding the powder first in the bowl, then adding the liquid. It's a little tough to get the hang of, but it works well.... EXTREMELY well (i spent almost an hour trying to get two pieces apart to make a modification!).

For my exact setup, i removed 3/8" from the large end of the ABS adapter to allow the projector to seat as deep in the housing as possible. This is because we have a limited amount of space in the headlight area, so you want the assembly to be as shallow as possible. If you're doing something slightly different...measure!

I had to grind out the inside of the ABS adapter a little to fit the projector (with shroud attached) inside. Mine is a snug fit:





I installed the projector completely in the ABS adapter using the adapters supplied with the projectors. Specifically i used the adapter and the nut. Using the nut to tighten everything down (draw the projector back into the ABS) prevents anything from moving, so i didn't feel like any further modification was needed to keep it in place.





So now, it's all looking good! Ready to put some glue on it. Notice that i used the dremel to remove the factory paint on the headlight--Plast-Aid sticks better to plastic than it does to paint. The same goes anywhere you use the stuff. Make ABSOLUTELY sure that the "top" of the projector is aligned with the "top" of the headlight!! (Actually, i guess it doesn't even matter, since you can just rotate the headlight if need be!)





Put some Plast-Aid on it:





And WHA-LA!



It's not perfect (you can see gaps around the projector shroud), but for the price, i'm very happy with it. I'm curious to see what else people come up with for ideas on this. I realize it's ugly on the back side (that plast-aid stuff is tough to get the hang of, but it works!), but once installed nobody will ever know. A final note: on all the plastic pieces i cut, i lapped them on a flat surface and a piece of sandpaper to make sure they were flat and would fit together tightly.

Tonight after work i'm going to install the HID portion of it and put it in the car. The red and black wires you see sticking out of it are for a solenoid that turns on the brights (it moves a metal gate that blocks half the light). The rest of the HID setup is just a positive and a negative. I'm planning to wire the HID portion into the low beam and the ground, and run the solenoid to the high beam wire and ground. Doesn't get much easier than that! :thumbsup:


In case you're wondering the difference between a $90 ebay setup and these, the ebay setups aren't real projectors--they just use a curved lense to mimic a projector look. They also don't (and can't) have cutoffs, because of the bulb position. In short, if you buy an ebay setup, it will be just as bright...but nobody in oncoming traffic will be able to see a thing! These are real projectors, with real shrouds. They'll be just like an OEM setup (for that matter, theretrofitsource.com sells OEM projectors...they just weren't as compact).

The nice thing about this whole setup is that it still retains headlight adjustability--so if you screw up getting it all straight in the housing, then you can just install it and adjust the headlight screws until it's right!

I'll get some before/after pics once they're installed.

944-LT1, i'm curious to see your setup! I was thinking of doing something like what (i think) you're describing. Is it the "sleepy eyes" like the 240 guys do?

944-LT1: you seem to be good with electrics, any suggestions on the high beams switch? Do i need to worry about power feeding back into the high/low beam circuit when it's not on?

Porch wrote: